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Work as unto the Lord
From: David Foss
Galesville, Wis.
Who usually gets recognition at work - those who do a bit more than is expected or required of them or those who could care less about doing a good job - the goof-offs? Of course the goof-offs are not going to be recognized in any favorable way. These shirkers will never be rewarded with a promotion, etc. These evaders of a good work ethic are certainly not setting a good example for anyone, nor are they going to be showered with complimentary remarks from their boss or from their fellow employees. I Corinthians 10:31 Ecclesiastes 12:14 II Corinthians 5:10
What should be our outlook or attitude toward our work - old or young? Shouldn’t we want to set a good example by doing our very best? At the workplace shouldn’t we set a good example for the rest of the employees by always doing our best?
Have any of us felt the worst for having done our very best at a job? No way! Have we ever said to ourselves, “I don’t feel very good! I wish I hadn’t done such a good job at work today. Now everyone is going to criticize me! Fellow employees are going to hate me for setting a good example at the workplace.” No, we are always left with a good feeling for having done our best at any given task.
Should we care about doing our best even at menial jobs? Here is an example. We have a pastor, a deacon, a choir member, a trustee, a person who mows the lawn, a person who does the windows, a person who ushers, a person who sets up for potluck dinners, a person who cleans the commodes, etc. Now, does God expect that only the pastor is to do his very best? Is it okay if the others do less than their best because their jobs aren’t as important? We should never have this attitude. Well, why should I do my best? My job is such a menial one. What possible reward can I expect from this Mickey Mouse task?
God isn’t going to reward us for doing an insufficient job, doing just enough to get by, doing our jobs, but with a rotten attitude. We will receive no temporal reward or eternal reward for a job not well done. We forfeit two great rewards from God, especially God’s eternal reward. We need to remember that we are to work at an job (no matter how menial) as though we are working for the Lord. We should give our maximal effort, not our minimal effort. Colossians 3:23-24
Doesn’t God know our potential or capability? Of course. If we do our jobs to the best of our God-given ability, shouldn’t God grant all of us a reward no matter what our status in life - from president to the cleaner of commodes? Here is another example. A church has many windows that need to be cleaned. Several members are willing to clean these dirty windows. Some are retired folks, some are middle-aged folks, some are teenagers and some are children. Some clean twenty windows, some clean ten windows, some clean five windows and some only clean one window. Now if they all work as unto the Lord, isn’t God going to reward all of them, even the children who only cleaned one window? Are the heads of nails aboveboard? Of course.
If we love God, we should always do our best at any job, from the most humdrum job to the most important job. We are not going to grieve God by trying to be a perfectionist (in doing our very best - always) at what God has given us to do in life. Our Heavenly Father expects us to do our very best. After all, He is our boss. We really work for Him. We will add joy to our lives (in eternity too) if we work as unto the Lord.
Ponder Psalm 62:12b Matthew 16:27 Revelation 22:12 Colossians 3:23-24
P.S. Don’t forget the reward!
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